I have always believed that writing a blog is a cool thing to do. The excellent life records of those outstanding bloggers are very inspiring, and excellent bloggers always make people yearn for them... like DIYdog (not really sure about this part). Anyway, I am grateful that such a platform allows me to record my life, and I will be pleased when I look back on it if I continue to persist... I am a computer novice, and I still don't know how to decorate my own blog for now, and I haven't even found a place to change my profile picture... But fortunately, in such a convenient era, creating my own blog is still an easy thing to do... Writing a blog is something that people aspire to, isn't it? Let me start as soon as possible 😋
Coincidentally, I just wrote a travel experience recently, so I will use it as my first blog post.
Xiamen Trip#
This is my first time visiting Xiamen, and also my first time in the south. Perhaps it was love at first sight, the perfection of this city exceeded my imagination. Now that I am on my way back, looking down at Xiamen from high above, I feel a bit reluctant to leave: the long Xiamen Bridge is like a ribbon, connecting Gaoqi and Jimei, and also connecting my yearning and nostalgia for Xiamen. Words of love cannot be fully expressed, so in the short three-hour journey back, let me briefly summarize my love for Xiamen.
Food#
People from Fujian are definitely obsessed with food. Restaurants are densely packed on every street, and there are numerous snack streets with a wide variety of snacks from all over the place, including Fujian cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Hakka cuisine, Northeastern cuisine, and Taiwanese cuisine. In the past week, I have eaten countless snacks: noodles, meatballs, pickled vegetables, sweet soup, pan-fried buns, shark meatballs, egg-filled dumplings, ginger duck, satay noodles, stir-fried rice noodles, stir-fried beef noodles, peanut soup, bamboo shoot jelly, Minnan rice noodle rolls, Chaoshan hot pot, and so on. I am not a fan of seafood myself, as I always feel that cooked seafood has a taste that I don't like. But after trying raw seafood, I truly "discovered a new world." The texture of raw seafood is so chewy, and when soaked in sauce, it doesn't have any fishy smell. However, I do not recommend shellfish like blood clams, because the shells create a barrier and the sauce doesn't easily penetrate, so it may not be comfortable for people from other places to eat. Besides the famous snacks, you can hardly go wrong by walking into any unnamed small shop on the street. This is the food in Fujian Xiamen. In its dictionary of flavors, you will definitely find the taste you desire.
Transportation#
Xiamen's transportation system can be said to be extremely convenient. Buses, subways, and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) together form Xiamen's public transportation system. I believe that the level of civilization of a city can be fully reflected in its transportation. "Red light stop, green light go" is a common rule in traffic, but what if there are no traffic lights at an intersection? Can vehicles turning right yield to pedestrians? Xiamen has given an almost perfect answer. Xiamen is a developed city, and everyone is in a hurry. The speed of vehicles on the road is fast. But whenever they encounter pedestrians, they will voluntarily yield, even in congested areas, and there is no honking. This is an experience I have never had before. In these few days in Xiamen, it is a luxury to be able to sit down and read a book for a while. I happened to read a book about photography concepts in a bookstore in Xiamen, called "Not Just a Photography Class" by Zeng Yicheng. There is a sentence in the book that says, "Stillness doesn't have to be singular, it can be rich; stillness doesn't have to be motionless or silent, it can be doing many things at the same time. The key is that everything can coexist without competing, each with its own beauty, in an orderly manner." This sentence perfectly summarizes the feeling Xiamen gives me. Yes, to put it in the author's words, it is stillness. Xiamen is a vibrant city, with young people everywhere. There are many young people on the bus, and I rarely have the opportunity to offer my seat.
Scenery#
As a well-known tourist city, Xiamen's beautiful scenery goes without saying. Whether it is enjoying the vastness of the sea on the coastal promenade, or marveling at the original forest-like greenery in the city, it gives people a sense of safety, tranquility, and happiness. There is no need to elaborate on these, as they have been described by others before. I remember the day when I completed a cross-sea ride in the pouring rain, it was not easy. I had to persevere through muscle soreness, and even though my glasses were blurry, I continued to ride with all my might. At that time, raindrops were falling on me, giving me a true sense of "a robe of misty rain, a carefree life."
People#
The natural landscapes of each city are different, and each city has its own iconic landscapes. China has a vast and diverse land, with various regions and countless beautiful places. However, the differences between people in different places can be seen. When I first arrived in Xiamen, it was raining continuously. I went to a stationery store near Lianqian Elementary School to buy an umbrella. After paying, I was about to leave when the owner stopped me and said, "Please open the umbrella, because some umbrellas are defective when they leave the factory, and it wouldn't be good if you bought a defective one." I felt embarrassed because I am lazy and thought it was troublesome to open the umbrella, so I hesitated for a moment. The owner seemed to sense my concerns and said, "It's okay, you can open the umbrella and I will take it back." I was speechless for a moment, and could only repeatedly say thank you... What is human culture? Human culture is not history, and it does not have a representative. Human culture is any person in this city, it is everyone in this city. During these few days in Xiamen, the people I have interacted with have been polite and gentle. There is no hustle and bustle, and no spectators. I can feel that every person in Xiamen is enjoying life and is happy. As a tourist with cultural differences, how can I not feel this great happiness?
Thanks to my brother for taking me out and broadening my horizons, expanding my knowledge. This is a rare opportunity and a precious treasure in my life. 💫